Using conservation of energy to find spring constant but off number

slambert56 · Oct 29, 2011

Okay so I think the answer should be 180N/m unless the book is wrong and I got 114N/m. Now if there is a mistake in my work shown in the picture it would have to be the height final or height initial. I am going with height inital is the x initial and the height final equals the x final.(I think this is correct)

question; a .60kg metal sphere oscillates at the end of a vertical spring. as teh spring stretches from .12 to .23m(relative to its unstrained length) the speed of the sphere decreases from 5.7 to 4.80m/s. what is the spring constant of the spring?
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/8118/001ql.jpg

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sorry for the work on the back that you can see. any help would be greatly appreciated!

SammyS · Oct 29, 2011

As the spring stretches, the mass is at a lesser height, therefore has less gravitational potential energy, but more potential energy due to the spring.

You could consider the height to be -x.

Using conservation of energy to find spring constant but off number

FAQ: Using conservation of energy to find spring constant but off number

What is conservation of energy?
Conservation of energy is a fundamental principle in physics that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be transformed from one form to another. In other words, the total energy of a closed system remains constant over time.

Can conservation of energy be used to find the spring constant for an off number of mass?
Yes, conservation of energy can be used to find the spring constant for any mass, including an off number. As long as the measurements are accurate and consistent, the formula will still apply.

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Using conservation of energy to find spring constant but off number

FAQ: Using conservation of energy to find spring constant but off number

What is conservation of energy?Conservation of energy is a fundamental principle in physics that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be transformed from one form to another. In other words, the total energy of a closed system remains constant over time.

Can conservation of energy be used to find the spring constant for an off number of mass?Yes, conservation of energy can be used to find the spring constant for any mass, including an off number. As long as the measurements are accurate and consistent, the formula will still apply.

Similar threads

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

What is conservation of energy?
Conservation of energy is a fundamental principle in physics that states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can only be transformed from one form to another. In other words, the total energy of a closed system remains constant over time.

Can conservation of energy be used to find the spring constant for an off number of mass?
Yes, conservation of energy can be used to find the spring constant for any mass, including an off number. As long as the measurements are accurate and consistent, the formula will still apply.